Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-07-29
COURTSHIP IN RUSSIA.
M4TING or THE YOUNG FOLKS N
Social ETENING GATHERINGS.

HOW sLAvONIC GIRLS ARE woOED
THE LOVER sMOTHERs THE
MOTHER WITH SOFT WORDS AND
PRESENTS AND WINS AT LAST.
1t is the custom of the Russian
young folks to meet together by ap-
pointment in the long, stormy win
ter evenings, selecting the house OF
each one in turn. Boys and girls
come dressed in holiday attire, the
lattercarrving their looms and linen
thread. which they are supposed TO
convert into the Euch priced linen.
These pretty young misses pass the
hours m the idle gossip until the
time approaches for the arrival OF
the sterner sex, when each one hies
to her loom and begins to work
most earnestly, by which means
they seek to impress on the minds
of their lovers their capabilities OF
becoming good wives and house
keepers; but this feigned industry
does not last long, tor when the
male members have entered the
chamber work is suspended, and
pleasure begins by the Young men
inviting their tair friends to join
them in forming a circle. This
done. they all JOIN in singing, after
which one of the girls selects her
young gentleman (moi milOD, my
love. as she calls him, aud leads
him into the middle of the circle,
then walks back and forth, chant
ing love song, IN which the rest
of the guests join. In the song
usually selected she tells Of the
beauty Of the lover she has chosen ;
how much she loves him ; how she
would leave home and parents,
brothers. sisters and friends, and
follow him the wide world over
AS the song runs, she would follow
him across the seven oceans, or
over seven high mountains, and
rest beneath their shadow, where
she could enjoy her happiness I'M
disturbed.
So, in turn, each girl selects her
moi miloi and leads him into the
circle, when the same love chaut
ing is repeated until all the girls
have made their choice. Next in
turn come the young men, who
each selects a partner and 60
through the same performance, the
whole affair terminating with the
dancing of the Russian COssack.
At the conclusion Of this dance
each young peasant escorts the OBJ
ject of his choice 20 her home. AT
these gatherings they are as free as
the birds of the air, and take for
their mate whomSoeyer they will,
without any regard to third party.
When the time arrives that form
al declaration is to be made, the
youth, accompanied by some men,
Der or members of his family, who
are supposed to aid materially in
obtaining the parents consent, pro
ceed to the home of his lady love
and there make known his wishes
to the father and mother.
The mother, not at all surprised,
usually reads the young man a lee
ture on the duties and burdens OF
married life, bewailing all the ills
and speaking of few of the bless
rngs, and ends by declaring her
daughter is too young to marry yet,
too young to be given over to the
cruel tyranny Of an eXacting hus-
band. She prefers TO see her as
free and happy as the birds of her
native woods. All this is but
custom which must be observed, so
fearful are they that the young man
might suppose his bride too easily
won. The suitor, further to cOncil-
late the mother, now begins to Law
ish all kinds Of presents on her, ac
cordlng to his means, at the same
time telling her how much be loves
her daughter and how happy he
will make her darling.
The mother listens attentively to
the burning, soul stirring language,
apparently weighing IN deep
thought all he says, looking Occa-
sionally at the presents presented
to her, and which much fear are
the KEY which unlocks the door of
her heart. She finally gives a rath-
er unwilling assent, with the pro-
visO If the father is willing. This
is a needless precautiOn on her part,
for as a rule the father is only too
willing to ease himself of the bur
den of a daughters support.
But you will naturally ask where
the poor victim is all this time
Why, in the next room, of course,
where every word uttered by her
lover falls like sweet music on her
ears. She understands her moth
er's tactics, and yet it must be with
, trembling heart that she awaits the
sealing Of her fate.
} All preliminaries arranged be-
tween mother and lover, the daugh-
, ter is called into the room to re-
ceive the parental blessing, instead
, of which she kneels to her mother,